User: Lewis Mistrot
Heart Rate: 61 BPM
FML Magellan, Day 1, A-403
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I’m happy I can finally sit down at the holo-deck and complete my inaugural entry. Truthfully, my first day aboard was a bit of an adventure. I wasn’t able to return to my cabin until far past my bedtime and am nearly in violation of missing my first entry which is…deeply troubling. Luckily the Magellan’s AI, the captain and I are the only ones with the clearance to access these logs, so my transgressions will go unnoticed for the time being. It’s funny to me that the whole reason the crew is required to keep logs like these are because of a man such as myself. The FML Magellan’s AI uses a complex algorithm that searches each crew member’s log for entries containing health and psychological data worthy of review and investigation by yours truly!
My wish is that the Federation Mapping Lightship Magellan reaches its destination with a healthy and mentally sound crew. When it comes to ferrying human beings millions of light years through the void of space, humankind’s potential is strained to the absolute limit. Interstellar colonization is a relatively new endeavor and just like the pilgrims, we too share similar obstacles. It exacts both a physical and mental toll on those involved. Interestingly, I am the one who is responsible for detecting and addressing these obstacles before they occur.
To be completely honest, my role “Population, Health, and Integration Liaison” didn’t even exist until the Aether incident. Many people have wondered why such a fortuitous venture ended with the largest class action lawsuit in human history. I like to think of every lightship voyage as a rigorous test of human nature, and in that case, mankind failed. I’ve read numerous books on the subject, all of them suggesting that the true cause of the Aether mutiny was the psychoactive effects of the famous L-7 nutrition supplement, which to this day research has yet to prove. What science has proven is that the supplement caused an increase in appetite, leading to colonists exceeding their apportioned rations and starving half the ship. The failure of the Aether was a monumental lack of oversight and inability of the crew to overcome their baser tendencies…it’s the same problem that led to Earth’s diminished state, but I’ll save my musings on that subject for another journal.
Once I had settled in, I was informed that I was to report to the administration office for a routine tour of the ship. After a good bit of aimless wandering in search of said office, I was told to wait for my guide. To my great surprise, I was greeted by a droid, only about knee-high! It was metallic grey and looked like an espresso machine I owned back on Earth. I believe its voice modulator must have been in disrepair because the sound emanating from this tin can seemed more akin to Darth Vader than an emissary for a pleasant tour. Regardless, it was very polite and asked me if I had any questions about the ship’s amenities (I had none. Aside from a piquant for expensive coffee, I’m a man of little fuss). I noticed on its breastplate was a worn sticker that read “Orientation Buddy”. I figured that in the ship’s heyday there must have been several buddies in operation, but this little guy seemed to have outlived all of his compatriots. Orientation Buddy proceeded to lead me the entire length of the lightship, guiding me through every twist and turn of this confounded vessel: the crew decks, rec room, mess hall, infirmary, map room, fusion reactor, captain’s quarters, areas I don’t even believe I should have access to. I felt like Dante being led by Virgil through every level of the underworld. Finally, I was guided to an area of the ship that is entirely automated, there didn’t seem to be a living soul in the vicinity, and I was struck with a feeling of loneliness that I have only experienced in my worst nightmares. I looked down and noticed that my little buddy was still with me and waiting to see if I had any questions. I was struck that in the midst of all this creaking metal, machines and humans slaving away, I was developing a fondness for this little tin can simply because he had the time to listen. After my legs had completely worn, we had not yet returned to the administration office before I noticed that my buddy had slowed and the lights behind the lenses of his eyes began to fade. I scooped him up in my arms and asked him how to get back. He replied “Two rights and a l l l l l l l l .” I kicked the doors of the office open and demanded someone call a tech who eventually informed me that it was time to decommission Orientation Buddy and salvage him for parts. “I will have you decommissioned sir if you put a goddamn hand on this robot!” I shouted, which in retrospect may have been an overreaction. He is now here with me in my cabin and I see us as kindred spirits. Both wayward souls attempting to use our knowledge to make things just a little easier for the rest of us. We shall see what adventures tomorrow will hold.
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